Improvement in machines for frilling and crimping



2 Sheets-Sheet I.

G. 0. CROSBY & H. KELLQGG. MACHINE FOR FRILLING AND GRIMPING.

No. 37,033. Patented D60. 2. 1862 '2 Sheet's'-Shet 2. G 0. CROSBY & KELLOGG. MAGHINE FOR TRILLING AND GRIMPING.

No. 37,033. Patented Dec. 2, 1862.

UNITED STATES PATENT, OFFICE.

c. o. CROSBY AND HENRY nations, or HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT.

IMPROVEMENT IN MACHINES FOR FRILLING AND CRIMPING.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 37,033, dated December '2, 186

To all whom it may concern:

Bcit known that we, 0. 0. CROSBY and .l-IENRY KELLOGG, of the city of Hartford, in

the State of Connecticut, haveinvented a newtail showing the cams that actuate the erimper' and the crimper'itself. Fig. 5-is a detail showin gthe crimper-sprin g and its actuating-cams. Fig. 6 is a plan in detail of the crimper and presser-i'oot and its auxiliary smoother. Fig. 7 is a top view of the same on a large scale, without the crimper. Fig. 8 is a front elevation of the same. Fig. 9 is a plan of the under side of the same. Fig.10 is a section and side elevation thereof. Fig. 11 is a plan of the Presser-foot; Fig. 12, a plan of the auxiliary smoother; Fig. 13, a sketch ofthe article made by the machine, and Fig.'14 a. sketch illustrating the operation of the crimper.

This machine consists essentially of two parts or subdivisions, the one for forming the crimps and the other for securing them in place after they are formed, the latter being any ordinary mechanism for making stitches. In the drawings this mechanism is that described in Letters Patent granted to J. E. A. Gibbs August 10, 1858; but any other mechanism proper for sewing a seam may be uset in place thereof.

Themechanism for forming the crimps consists of a crimper which both forms the crimps and spaces them, of a holder for holding the goods at rest while each crimp is formed, and of a 'contrivance for smoothing down or flattening the crimps, the holding and smoothing being performed by the same instrumentality in the machine represented in the drawings.

In the drawings the bed-plate of the machine is shown at a a. This plate is continued upward, and supports in proper guides aneedlea revolving main shaft, 6.

stock, I), reciprocated by a lever, 0, moved by an eccentric-rod, d,which receives motion from This shaft carries at one end the ordinary revolving looper of the Gibbs machine,f, and has secured upon it a cog-wheel, 9, into which engages a cog wheel, g. This latter wheel ismounted upon a counter-shame", which carries another cog-wheel, 9 which latter engages with a cog-wheel, g, mounted'on a shaft, c*, which latter carries another revolving looper, f. The use of the cogs and shafts is to cause two loopers to revolve at the same velocity. The bed plate or framealso supports a presser-foot'stalk, h, depressed, as usual, by aspring, and which carries a presser-foot, k, that rests, as usual,with

its lower surface on the table or platform that.v

supports the goods. Upon the mainshaft are mounted three cams, t',j, and k. The two latter actuate the crimper Z and the former the crim per-presser m. The crim per lies above the table or platform upon which the goods are supported, is pivoted at one end to two rock-shaft arms, Z Z, which are fastened to a rock-shaft, Z and this shaft has two other arms k, secured to it, each of which is provided with a connecting-rod, j' h the rods being pivoted to the arms. These rods embrace at their lower ends the shaft 0, and are each provided witha pin, j k. These pins extend over the cams, andthe latter act upon them. It is bestto make the rockshaft arms adjustable upon the shaft, the connecting-rod pivot-s adjustable in the arms, and the cams adjustable npon the shaft, as shown in the. drawings, in order to vary the time and extent of the motions of the rock-shaft, and consequentlyof the crimper. One of the connecting rods has a pin, 0, projecting from it, to which is hooked a spring, 0, the object of this arrangement being to move the shaft in a direction contrary to that in whichit is moved by the cams. The criinper has at its acting end a chisel-edge, serrated and slotteduas at Z, and reciprocates along the platform whenno cloth is in the machine. 1

The cam i acts upon a pin,z", nojeetingfrom a connecting-rod, i pivoted in a rock-shaft arm, 1, which is fastened to a rock-shad, m,-.

to whichis secured thecrimper-presserm. The object of this contrivance, which 1s adjustable in its parts,isto lift the crimper-presser, which presser-foot, and the needles will descend and have theirloopssecured by the loopers. VVlnle the needles are still in the cloth the crimper has retreated as far as possible from them. The crimper-presser then descends, forced down by its spring, and bears the crimperupon the goods. The latter then advances and makes acrimp of the cloth lying between it and the line where the cloth is grasped be tween the presser-foot and the'tabie, (see Fig. 1%,) the crimper being actuated by the cam 7'. The latter then holds the crimper at rest,.

and the needles leave the cloth. -'lh e cam k then acts upon the crimper., and it shoves the cloth and the crimp just made under the presser-t'oot, the latter smoothing down or flattening the crimp by its spring-pressure-upon the goods. During this second advance of the crim'per it pushes the goods along under the presser-l'oot. The erim per now pauses, and the needles enter behind the crimp just formed. (See Fig. 14. Cam 4? now comes into action and lifts the crimper-presser, relieving the crimper from the pressure of the spring, so that the erimper may slide backwithout any tendency to ruck up the goods, and when mis elevated the cams 9 alttlk permit the spring to draw thecrimper back, ready to take a new crimp. The crimper is slotted, as at l 1 so that the needles may pass through it while it holds theerimpformed and flattenethand may enter through one thickness of cloth, so that the upper part of the stitch lies over each crimp; but; the relative positions of the needles and crimper may be varied so as to permit the needles to pass through the crimps. While 1 moves to crimp it acts as a crimper or folder or t'riller. After the crimp'is formed it acts as a spacer to space the crimps apart and as a pusher to force the goods-through the ma)- ch'ine. The presser-foot and-thetable in conjunction act as a holder, holding the goods at rest while the crimp is formed, and the presser-foot alone acts as asmoother, flattening the crimp down smooth and to an edge while the goods are being erimped'or pushed forward by the crimper. The needles alone will serve to hold the cloth While the crimp is being made, and we intend.- to use them for that purpose, or any-agency acting as'a 'piercer, like the needles, or as a compressor, like thepresser-foot and table, the object of the contrivance being to hold the goods at rest while the crimp is being made.

The criinpmay be flattened down whileit is being termed-by a sprin g-surt'ace'actin g above the crimper in the same manner asthe press er-t'oot, but at a differentperiod of the operation. 4 The quantity of material taken up by each crimp depends upon the'distanee that the crimper' vibrates downward from the holder or holding-line of the goods. The space between the crimps depends upon the length of the advance of the crimpcrafter the crimp is formed, andin the machine shown inthe drawings the range of motion of the crimper either to crimp or to space is adjustable. These motions in' the machine shown in the drawings are derived from two cams, and there is a pause between them; but the motions may be derived from one cam or from any other mechanical contrivancc, and the motions may also be continuous. We intend sometimes to add to the machine an ordinaryrough-surface feed,

acting' belo'w the cloth ;(at"t'he time during.

which the orimperactsas a spacer) and feeding to the same extent asthe' criinper shoves the goods, inorder to' aid the latter in forcing the finished crimp along when .there is a heavy pressure upon the pre'sser t oot, We also'fintend to attach a weightto the finished end of the frill, not sulficiently heavy to draw the frill along, but so heavy-asto aidin drawing it when the pusher does itswork; and we also intend, by means'of a cam orother mechanism, to cause the presser-t'oot spring to relax its pressure to a certain extent while the pusher is forcing the goods along.

The goods or strips of goods which we-usu ally frill are hemmed on each side prior to being crimped; and in order. to make such goods j pass more easily through themachi'ne, and. at;

the same time tlatten down that part of the crimp between the-line of scam and the edge, we have contrived an auxiliary smoother, a. This is a springy piece of metal screwed down on tip of the presser and projecting on each side ofit, with a t'acejust above. the table, simiiar to that of the-presse'r. When the finished frill projects ou'each side of the; seam these faces fll'G'llOfillO on-hoth sides of the 'presser.

The spring of this piece of metal is distinct i from that of'the presser-foot. Its-acting s'u rfacescan' rise without-lifting the foot, and they .thus permit thev comparatively thick hem to,

pass easily, and; at-the same time prevent the hem fromlifting the presser-foot. seas to in-' I terfere with'its-holding or smoothing action. A good frill can be made with a presser-foot *alone when it is'so narrow-that the'hems do not pass under it. p

vBoth the-presser-foot and the smoother are in practice slightly notched on the under edge,

.the straight sides of the notches beingso placed as to resist any tendency of the crim'per to draw the goods backward. This is a nicetyot construction,-not a necessity. We intend at times to use the machine witl one needle, making a t'rill like one-half of that shown in Fig. 13, and we intend to use any proper sewing mechanism in place of that shown so long as such mechanism is so comand table or the needles while in the goods, or

both of them, or some equivalent piercing or gripping mechanism.

We claim as of our own invention- 1.. A crimper acting, substantially as described, to crimp goods and to space thecrimps, in combination with a table or platform and a holding mechanism or holder substantially suchas described, the combination acting substantially as specified, and we claim these also in combination with either one or two mechanisms for making stitches, substantially as specified.

2. In combination, a crimper and a smoother -.snbstantially such as described, and acting,

substantially as specified, to fold the crimps to an edge.

3. A crimper whose acting edge is provided with slots, substantially as described, to admit the passage of a needle to secure the crimps as formed while said erimps are being held by the crimper.

4. In combination with a crimper substantially such as specified, a spring acting to force said crimper upon the goods while crimping them and relaxing its pressure while the crimper is retreating, substantially in the manner and for the purpose specified.

An auxiliary smoother having a mode of operation substantially as specified, in combination with a crimper and a holder or holding mechanism substantially such as described.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto subscribed our names.

G. 0. CROSBY. HENRY KELLOGG. In presence of L. G. PEcK, O. M. SHELTON. 

